Coiled sheet package



Aug. 22, 1967 v w. B. SMIVTH ETAL COILED SHEET PACKAGE Filed May 21, 1964 HH s WW MS MM 4 N H IRG T A O 1B & IA M mm W G United States Patent 3,337,044 COILED SHEET PAQKAGE William Bryan Smith and George Roger Smith, Louisville, Ky, assignors to Anaconda Aluminum Company, a corporation of Montana Filed May 21, 1964, Ser. No. 369,252 3 Claims. (Cl. 296-65) a package for coiled sheets, and it particularly relates to a coiled sheet package which is constructed to allow the package to be turned on its side with a simple lifting and lowering operation.

For shipping and handling purposes, sheet metal is usually wound into a coiled sheet such that it has a core axis and flat side surfaces defined by the respective opposite side edges of adjacent turns of the coiled sheet. In shipping, the coiled sheet is placed on a bottom skid with one of its flat side surfaces on the skid and the core axis positioned vertically; then a flat rigid top membet is placed on the opposite flat side surfaces and metal straps are tightly afiixed about the skid and top member to hold the coil therebetween. This manner of packaging coiled sheets is followed essentially as stated by all in the art.

The skid used is generally a wood structure which has two parallel spaces formed at the bottom to permit the fork of a lift torch to be inserted for ease of handling. It is clear from the construction of the package and the means used for handling that the core axis of the sheet is always maintained vertical and the supporting members extend in generally horizontal planes during shipping. Once the coiled sheet reaches its destination and is to be used, the coiled sheet must be turned so that the core axis is horizontally arranged for unpacking and mounting on apparatus for unwinding. Heretofore, this seemingly simple operation of turning the package on its side has been difficult and troublesome. The weight of these metal coils is generally so great that an overhead crane is used to lift the package and once lifted, great skill and tedious maneuvering is required to tip the package on its side. It is an object of this invention to provide a new coiled sheet package which retains all the standard structural features heretofore used and incorporates in combination with them certain novel structural modifications which permit the package to be turned 90 on its side by a simple lifting and lowering operation.

Broadly stated the coiled sheet package of the invention comprises a coiled sheet having a core axis and flat side surfaces defined -by the respective opposite side edges of the multiplicity of turns of the coiled sheet. A bottom skid is provided on which the coiled sheet is supported on one of its fiat surfaces. A top member abuts against the opposite flat surfaces and holding means tightly surround the skid and the top supporting member to contain the coiled sheet therebetween. Handle means are provided on the package for facilitating lifting of the package and are positioned to cause the package to be turned on its side upon lifting and lowering with the handle means.

The invention particularly provides a package in which the holding means are metal straps and the handle means are loops formed in the straps. It is also advantageous to position the coiled sheet eccentrically on the skid and position the handle to take advantage of the eccentric positioning to aid in turning the package upon lifting and lowering.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a coiled sheet package of the invention:

This invention relates to fiat surface 12 of the coiled sheet FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the coiled sheet package shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the coiled sheet package showing the looped strap construction.

A package is shown for a coiled sheet 10. The coiled sheet consists of a length of sheet metal which is wound into coil form such that the opposite side edges of the multiplicity of turns of the sheet define parallel fiat surfaces 11 and 12, and a core axis 13. The coiled sheet 10 is supported on a skid i lwith one of its flat surfaces 11 in FIG. 1) which serve to support the wooden slats 16 and define a pair of spaces 18 and 19 into which the fork of a standard fork lift truck will fit to lift and carry the package.

A fiat top member 24 of substantially the same marginal dimentions as the skid 14 is set on the opposite and is spaced from and overlies the skid in a substantially parallel plane. The top supporting member is also standard, and as shown, consists of a first set of laterally spaced wooden slats 21 which are overlapped and secured to a second set of similar laterally spaced wooden slats 2-2 offset from the first set.

The coiled sheet 10 is held positioned between the top member 20 and the skid 1 by a plurality of metal straps 24, 25, 26 which extend completely around the package. In the embodiment shown, one steel strap 24 extends the package and locked in position strapping machines.

Formed in the pair of straps 25 and 26 along a portion thereof between the top member 20 and the skid 14 is a loop 27. As shown in FIG. 3 the loop 27 is formed by extending one end portion 28 of the strap 25 back against itself and clamping an endmost portion against of a standard clamp 30. The opposite to the looped end form the loop. 26 to form a second loop 33.

As indicated in FIG. 1 and shown in FIG. 2, the coiled sheet is not centered on the skid 14, which has dican be positioned adjacent'one edge 34 of the skid l4 and spaced from an edge 35 opposite to edge 34 so as to position the coiled sheet eccentrically on the skid. The loops 27 and 33 are located between the top member 20 and the edge 35 of the skid it which is the edge from which the coiled sheet 10 is spaced.

Thus, the loops which provide a handle for lifting the package are strategically located on a side of the package directly opposite to the side on which the weight of the coiled sheet is concentrated. This arrangement permits insertion of a single prong of a fork of a lift o ubstantially under the loops and subsequent lowering of he package will cause the package to pivot on edge 34 1nd turn 90 and rest on its side. This rotation of the packtge upon lowering is assured by the eccentric mounting 3f the coiled sheet on the skid which shifts the center of gravity of the package once the package is lifted free from the floor.

We claim:

1. A coiled sheet package, comprising:

(a) a coiled sheet wound to define a core axis and fiat r side surfaces defined by the respective opposite side edges of the multiplicity of turns of the coiled sheet,

(b) a bottom skid on which sa'd coiled sheet is supported on one of its flat surfaces,

() a top member abutting against the opposite fiat.

surface,

(d) holding means tightly surrounding said skid and said top supporting member to contain said coiled sheet therebetween, and

(e) handle means on sa'd package for facilitating lifting of the package and positioned along one side of the package between the top member and bottom skid member for turning the core axis through 90' by vertically lifting the package free of a fioor surface by the handle means and subsequently lowering it to the surface.

2. A coiled sheet package comprising:

(a) a coiled sheet wound to define a core axis and flat side surfaces defined by the respective opposite side edges of the multiplicity of turns of the coiled sheet, (b) a bottom skid on which the coiled sheet is supported on one of its fiat surfaces,

(0) a top member abutting against the opposite flat surface of the coiled sheet,

(d) at least one strap tightly aflixed about said skid and said top supporting member to contain said coiled sheet therebetween, and

(e) handle means defined by a loop formed in said strap for lifting of the package and positioned along one side of the package between the top member and bottom skid member for turning the core axis through 90 by vertically lifting the package free of a floor surface by the handle means and subsequently lowering it to the surface.

3. A coiled sheet package comprising:

(a) a coiled sheet wound to define a core axis and flat 4. surfaces defined by the respective opposite fiat side edges of the coiled sheet,

(b) a bottom skid on which the coiled sheet is supported on one of its flat surfaces, said bottom skid being larger than the diameter of the coiled sheet and the coiled sheet being positioned adjacent one side edge of the skid and spaced from the opposite side edge of the skid,

(c) a top member abutting against the opposite flat surface of the coiled sheet,

(d) at least one strap tightly affixed about said skid and said top supporting member to contain the coiled sheet therebetween with its core axis extending vertically, and

(e) handle means defined by a loop formed in said strap for lifting of the package, said loop positioned between said top supporting member and said skid along said opposite side edge of said skid from which the coiled sheet is spaced for turning the core axis through 90 by vertically lifting the package free of a floor surface by the handle means and subsequently lowering it to the surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,071,766 9/1913 Marcus 224-49 1,431,352 10/1922 Abbott 206-52 1,534,159 4/1925 Chase 294-74 1,772,009 8/ 1930 Lackey. 2,022,595 11/1935 GoWing 206-65 2,160,235 5/1939 Slusar 206-65 2,357,182 8/1944 Farmer 294 -74 2,437,405 3 1948 Robinson 224- 2,448,447 8/ 1948 Lau 206- 2,527,819 10/ 1950' Ianney 206-65 2,532,306 12/ 1950 Herbert 224-49 2,792,252 5/ 1957 Ernst 294-74 2,823,843 2/1958 Beverlin 224-49 3,069,007 12/1962 Crane 206-65 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,458 1895 Great Britain. 723,716 2/ 1955 Great Britain.

45 LOUIS o. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COILED SHEET PACKAGE, COMPRISING: (A) A COILED SHEET WOUND TO DEFINE A CORE AXIS AND FLAT SIDE SURFACES DEFINED BY THE RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF THE MULTIPLICITY OF TURNS OF THE COILED SHEET, (B) A BOTTOM SKID ON WHICH SAID COILED SHEET IS SUPPORTED ON ONE OF ITS FLAT SURFACES, (C) A TOP MEMBER ABUTTING AGAINST THE OPPOSITE FLAT SURFACE, (D) HOLDING MEANS TIGHTLY SURROUNDING SAID SKID AND SAID TOP SUPPORTING MEMBER TO CONTAIN SAID COILED SHEET THEREBETWEEN, AND (E) HANDLE MEANS ON SAID PACKAGE FOR FACILITTING LIFTING OF THE PACKAGE AND POSITIONED ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE PACKAGE BETWEEN THE TOP MEMBER AND BOTTOM SKID MEMBER FOR TURNING THE CORE AXIS THROUGH 90* BY VERTICALLY LIFTING THE PACKAGE FREE OF A FLOOR SURFACE BY THE HANDLE MEANS AND SUBSEQUENTLY LOWERING IT TO THE SURFACE. 